In central Massachusetts, it's business as usual

Surviving the new 'live below your means' economy

Don't hate me because I'm not worried about the economy. It's not that I'm not concerned about corporate bailouts, a decimated retirement account or the 8.1 percent unemployment rate in Massachusetts, which is the highest it's been in more than 25 years.

I'm not worried because I've unknowingly been training for the "live below your means (not by your credit) economy" for the past four years. Much like my runner friends who enjoy the long-distance pace of the Boston Marathon, I too have been pacing myself. I've learned to conserve, pace myself and push harder when I need a greater output.

Choosing to stay at home with my son after I was scheduled to return to work was a difficult decision, as someone who was accustomed to a regular paycheck. I was concerned about groceries, car insurance my cell-phone bill and how much I did not want to ask my spouse for money. Pride takes a back seat to practicality when you are living on one income, whether it's by choice or not.

Don't envy me because I can more than make ends meet right now. I often feel guilty when I hear about other families struggling to make ends meet. My family lived on one full-time, average income, minus child support for two children, and one barely part-time job for a couple of years. How? We cut our expenses, reduced our debt and started by living only by our means, not our credit card limits. Credit cards actually became off limits.

I shop locally owned shops in central Massachusetts. One local store sells American cheese for $2.99 per pound while the three major grocery stores sell the same brand for $7.99 per pound. The only thing I lose by going to the specialty store is my time.

Summer vacation will consist of mostly close-to-home activities in central Massachusetts, including free public library programs, hiking in parks without fees and swimming in lakes. These are not extreme measures, but they work.